Crusaders 2017
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So gone from last year are:
Alex Hodgman (replaced by Jager)
Ged Robinson (replaced by Makalio)
Jimmy Tupou (replaced by Strange)
Tim Boys (replaced by Bedwell-Curtis)
Andy Ellis (replaced by Hall)
Ben Volavola (replaced by Bateman)
Kieron Fonotia (replaced by Tamanivalu)
Robbie Freuan (replaced by Mataele)
Nemani Nadolo (replaced by Ioane)
Johnny McNicholl (replaced by Bridge)Hodgman was pretty useful, but last year Toddy had four looseheads and only two tightheads, so this is more balanced.
Ged Robinson barely played, so getting a young guy on the way up as the third hooker is probably the way of the future now Taylor is well established. Strange for Tupou probably the same case.
Can't say I know much about Bedwell-Curtis, but I wasn't a big fan of Boys. A bit surprised Razor hasn't signed Billy Harmon.
Andy Ellis had reached his use-by date. I guess there's a likelihood of a signed contract keeping Fukofuka in the squad and Enari out? I would have switched them without question otherwise. Very surprised Enari hasn't appeared elsewhere - hopefully Razor has told him to bide his time.
Volavola out - I daresay not many tears shed by many supporters - Bateman in. Meh - I supp0se we need three first fives and it's got to be an upgrade (hopefully keeping Colin Slade's place warm for 2018). Hopefully, we'll see Hunt playing ahead of both Bateman and McKenzie and doing better than either.
Nadolo and McNicholl will be missed - Fonotia and Freuan, not so much - Tamanivalu an evident upgrade and Robbie was pretty much a foodbill - though I can't say I've noticed Mataele at all.
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Stuff says Enari will be training with the Crusaders as injury cover for Mitchell Drummond
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@Chris-B. As @Tim said, Fukofuka had already been re-signed (on 11 May to be precise). For 2 seasons, so through to 2018.
"Andy Ellis had reached his use-by date" sounds rather negative, as if Razor didn't offer him a contract. Ellis decided to retire from SR last year, so it was his choice, not a coach's decision. Ellis was the best of the 2016 Crusader halfbacks and not sure whether Hall is a good enough replacement. But the other two are probably worse.
Bedwell-Curtis had a good season for the Turbos. Not a bad signing and more experienced than Billy Harmon.
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The Crusaders will be without All Black captain Kieran Read for the start of next season while he recovers from an undisclosed injury.
New coach Scott Robertson made the announcement on Wednesday morning at the franchise's squad naming for next season, but could not say how long he would miss and what for.
"He is out for the first part of Super Rugby, so we will get an injury replacement for him," Robertson said.
"He just needs to get something with an injury, which I can't say, sorted. It's been planned, we were aware of it and we will have cover."
Read regularly wears a wrist brace between matches and will sit out the All Blacks' match against Italy in Rome next weekend.
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@Tim said in Crusaders 2017:
The Crusaders will be without All Black captain Kieran Read for the start of next season while he recovers from an undisclosed injury.
"He just needs to get something with an injury, which I can't say, sorted. It's been planned, we were aware of it and we will have cover."Undisclosed injury, cant say what it is??
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@taniwharugby Makes sense if they don't want opposition teams to know what the injury is. Still has some games to play with the ABs.
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@Stargazer not sure it is a big thing if it is just one of those niggles that plenty of players have...but I guess they have their reasons, and if that's one, as bizaare as it seems.
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Gutted that Volavola and Fonatia won't be back.
The only major loss is Nadolo, recruiting seems to have been good overall.
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@SammyC said in Crusaders 2017:
I wont be jumping on the TAB odds of $5.50 thats for sure
9 and 10 are a big weakness, like @Chris-B I'm hoping for a Colin Slade retrun in 2018
But I think we are a better chance and have a better coach than last year.
I doubt Slade returns: won't be in the ABs frame, won't earn nearly as much in NZ playing Super Rugby alone compared to Top 14.
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Reasonably happy with this squad.
Well stocked in the front row with four current ABs and some quality and up and coming back up.
Locks are a very handy group but I just wonder if there's enough height. Dunshea is also probably more a lock than 6 and has been listed under the loosies but is only about 1.96 or so. Barrett not much bigger and there seems to be conflicting info on Strange but he didn't strike me as 1.99 watching him play. So I would have liked to have seen a 2m + lock found to compliment Whitelock if he's absent.
Quite like the loose forward group but don't see an obvious choice to play 8 with Read out.
No surprises in the half-back group and I'm actually pretty happy with who we have, headed up by Hall. I'm excited about his combination with Mo'unga.
Speaking of whom, I can't wait to see how he goes in Super Rugby next year. And I'm so fucking pleased they've jettisoned Vol au Vent. McKenzie doesn't thrill me either but I like to think Hunt will actually end up covering 10 and 15 from the bench.
Bateman is there as a midfielder, make no mistake. Sure he filled a hole for Wellington a couple of times at 10 but he ain't no first five. What he does do though is add massive experience and also over-stock us with midfielders. Expect to see Havili'i and/or Goodhue used on the wing at times. The key to the midfield is settling on a combination and making sure they can put the wingers in space.
Wing is the most perplexing of the selections. Macilai is the only returning wing and he's out for most of the season. We sign a 31 year old former Wallaby, retain Fifita who I don't think we saw earlier this year and has done nothing in this year's NPC, but have at least opted for two youngsters with potential in Bridge and the Taranaki Fijian who's name escapes me. Add in the aforementioned midfielders and at least we have plenty of options with potential.
At fullback we have Dagg who we can only hope is motivated, with cover from Hunt, Bridge and McKenzie.
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@shark said in Crusaders 2017:
Reasonably happy with this squad.
Well stocked in the front row with four current ABs and some quality and up and coming back up.
Locks are a very handy group but I just wonder if there's enough height. Dunshea is also probably more a lock than 6 and has been listed under the loosies but is only about 1.96 or so. Barrett not much bigger and there seems to be conflicting info on Strange but he didn't strike me as 1.99 watching him play. So I would have liked to have seen a 2m + lock found to compliment Whitelock if he's absent.
Quite like the loose forward group but don't see an obvious choice to play 8 with Read out.
No surprises in the half-back group and I'm actually pretty happy with who we have, headed up by Hall. I'm excited about his combination with Mo'unga.
Speaking of whom, I can't wait to see how he goes in Super Rugby next year. And I'm so fucking pleased they've jettisoned Vol au Vent. McKenzie doesn't thrill me either but I like to think Hunt will actually end up covering 10 and 15 from the bench.
Bateman is there as a midfielder, make no mistake. Sure he filled a hole for Wellington a couple of times at 10 but he ain't no first five. What he does do though is add massive experience and also over-stock us with midfielders. Expect to see Havili'i and/or Goodhue used on the wing at times. The key to the midfield is settling on a combination and making sure they can put the wingers in space.
Wing is the most perplexing of the selections. Macilai is the only returning wing and he's out for most of the season. We sign a 31 year old former Wallaby, retain Fifita who I don't think we saw earlier this year and has done nothing in this year's NPC, but have at least opted for two youngsters with potential in Bridge and the Taranaki Fijian who's name escapes me. Add in the aforementioned midfielders and at least we have plenty of options with potential.
At fullback we have Dagg who we can only hope is motivated, with cover from Hunt, Bridge and McKenzie.
Both Ta$man's and the Crusaders' profile have Strange at a height of 1.99m, so I guess that must be right?
Taufua has played 8 for the Crusaders before (and pretty good); in 2015, I think.
Not too sure about Hall, but I guess he'll be better than Drummond.
McKenzie wasn't bad for Taranaki and has been really on target with the boot in Mitre10 Cup; Mo'unga and McKenzie have the best kicking stats of the comp.
Agree about Bateman. He's like a faded version of Crotty. Solid and reliable, just not as good as Crotty, but certainly not bad either. I expect the main midfield combo to be Crotty-Tamanivalu, but Crotty may have the obligatory All Black breaks at the beginning of or during the season, so it's good to have Bateman there.
About the wings: I assume Ioane was signed because there wasn't much chance of finding another strong, big winger without a contract that late in the year (he was signed late July). I guess they were in a difficult situation in that they wanted the new coach to have a say in the hiring & firing, but the new coach was only appointed mid-June. Same with re-signing Macilai, I suppose. At least Ioane comes with experience; Mataele (the young Naki wing and apparently Tamanivalu's nephew) will be a development project and won't be introduced in SR any time soon, unless there are a lot of injuries.
Isn't Bridge more a wing than a fullback? The biggest problem in the backline is IMO the fact that there are many new players and they all have to learn to play with each other. Combined with a new coach and probably/hopefully new game plans, that can be a challenge, although there are several players from Canterbury, Ta$man & Naki.
